$28 Million This case, the largest medical malpractice verdict of its kind in the state of New Jersey, concerned a failure to disclose an unborn infant’s serious genetic defect. It was an important case for many reasons. After becoming pregnant, the new mom, a carrier of a muscle-wasting disease known as myotubular myopathy (MTM) sought genetic testing. When the amniotic fluid was sent to be tested, the wrong box was checked, indicating it was for an amniocentesis rather than a test for MTM, nor was a request written. The doctor failed to request a test for MTM as part of the lab instructions, though he did indicate a family history of MTM. In addition, when the doctor asked the lab how much fluid, he was never informed that the lab didn’t do that kind of testing. Hence, fault was placed on the doctor, the testing lab and the lab director who signed the report. The child was born with irreparable damage: around-the-clock care, a respirator and feeding tube, and the inability to sit up easily. The child will never be able to walk, and has been given a life expectancy of 30 years. As in complex cases, discovery includes taking depositions from all experts. The primary issue being contested was how long the child would live and the costs associated with his care. The mother was awarded $15 million for future medical expenses and $13 million for anguish. (Attorney Paul O’Connor handled the case.)
$22.6 Million The largest employee discrimination verdict for a single plaintiff in the state of New Jersey, the more than $22.6 million settlement included $15 million for punitive damages awarded by the jury. The case involved a trucking company employee who, because he was gay, suffered intolerable discrimination and extreme abuse in the workplace. He was verbally and physically abused due to his sexual orientation. The plaintiff suffered psychological injuries including severe emotional distress because he was continually subjected to anti-gay slurs and physical abuse. The jury found the company liable under Law Against Discrimination and common-law claims. Driving home the point that discriminating against an employee for sexual orientation is prohibited by law. (Attorney Greg Noble handled the case.)
$20 Million The case involved a 25-year-old woman, who presented to the hospital in pre-term labor and her treating physician ordered magnesium sulfate. It was alleged that the nurse who administered the medication failed to follow hospital protocols by failing to have a second nurse double check her settings on the infusion pump, and inadvertently overdosed the patient with magnesium sulfate resulting in magnesium toxicity and cardiopulmonary arrest. As a result of her arrest, the patient sustained a massive brain injury and was left in a comatose state. The case ultimately resolved by way of settlement for $20,000,000.00.
$17.165 Million A trucker struck our client which caused a bilateral, above the knee amputations. This case was settled against Construction Site entities for $17,165,000.000 for failure to ensure that the trucker had appropriate insurance. Attorney Scott A. Parsons and associate Alexandra Loprete were counsel for this case.
$15 Million This case was settled against a medical center for failure to perform a necessary heart surgery on an infant. The baby consequently developed cerebral palsy in this medical malpractice case. Sadly, the infant had a curable heart defect which went untreated. The result of this action was a significant stroke which caused the baby to lose a portion of her eyesight. She was also unable to walk and suffered various additional defects as a result. (Attorney Scott Parsons was co-counsel for this case.)
$14.9 Million A neonatologist and nurse failed to provide a blood transfusion to a newborn. This resulted in the baby’s diagnosis of cerebral palsy. The infant had been born with anemia or lack of oxygen and needed only a blood transfusion. However, because the blood transfusion was delayed significantly, the result was a serious cerebral palsy condition for the infant. This was the No. 1 case in 2015 for settlements of its kind, as reported in The Law Journal. (Attorney Scott Parsons was co-counsel for the case.)
$14 Million The case involved a woman who received an epidural for a delivery, and she developed an epidural hematoma. It is a rare condition, but it was our position that there were signs that should have alerted the doctors to the possible development of the hematoma. Unfortunately, the client became partially paralyzed as a result of this delay. Attorney Scott A. Parsons was counsel on this case.
$10.5 Million Despite our client’s 19 visits to the doctor between 2000 and 2003, the doctor failed to diagnose his skin cancer in a timely manner. This led to the disfigurement of the plaintiff’s chin, which required extensive skin grafting. Because our client had a family history of basal cell carcinoma, he started his care ten years prior. However, the doctor failed to diagnose the problem. By the time another dermatologist had found the problem, the cancer had already spread to our client’s chin nerves. Additional surgeries helped but our client was still left disfigured. And while some of the issue was due to a preexisting condition, the jury awarded most of the verdict due to the delayed diagnosis. (Attorney Paul O’Connor handled the case.)
$8 Million Case involved a truck driver who fell asleep at the wheel and struck our client who was on the shoulder, killing her. There was an emotional distress claim on behalf of the decedent’s daughter, who witnessed the aftermath of the accident. The case settled for $8 Million. ( attorney Scott A. Parsons, was counsel for this case.)
$8 Million A prenatal testing facility failed to properly perform genetic testing in a case that settled while the jury was still deliberating. A couple who was looking forward to starting a family were each a carrier of an inherited blood disorder, Beta Thalassemia, which they wanted to make sure wasn’t present in their unborn child. With both parents being carriers, they knew how important it was to rule out the far more serious Beta Thalassemia Major. As advised, they submitted a sample of placental tissue to determine whether the baby was going to be impacted by the disease, which would determine how they would proceed. However, the defendants failed to properly perform the essential genetic testing that would have indicated the presence of the catastrophic Thalassemia Major disease, which in fact manifested in the baby. Instead, they had incorrectly told the family the baby would only be a carrier; the parents continued with the pregnancy only to learn too late that the infant girl had the more serious disease, which caused a failure to thrive. It was determined that the prenatal testing lab failed to follow their own protocol when doing the initial testing. Key information was provided by a board certified doctor in molecular genetics who concurred that had the lab followed their own rules and standard operating procedures, it would have revealed their mistake. The venue for the case was Alabama. After a two week trial, and while the jury was deliberating, the case settled for $8 million. (Attorney Paul O’Connor handled the case.)
$7 Million A Caesarean Section to deliver a newborn was delayed, causing cerebral palsy. The infant had been suffering in fetal distress for an extended period of time due to a uterine rupture, and the infant’s brain injury was caused by labor complications. The obstetrician failed to inform the family of the risks associated with a version procedure, wherein the doctor attempts to turn the baby. During the procedure the uterus ruptured and the placenta was damaged. As a result, the baby lost oxygen and sustained a brain injury resulting in cerebral palsy. The doctor also did not recognize the fetal distress during the delivery and was negligent in ceasing administration of Pitocin, a drug used to induce labor. This case was listed in The Law Journal as one of the Top 20 personal injury law cases for 2015. (Attorney Scott Parsons handled the case.)
$7 Million A radiologist recommended a CT scan to analyze a live mass observed in the patient’s abdominal ultrasound images. Unfortunately, the CT scan failed to identify a liver mass, detecting only cirrhosis of the liver. As a result, no further recommendation to perform an MRI or a liver biopsy was made. A year later, the plaintiff had metastatic liver cancer that had spread to his heart. Two months later, the plaintiff died from multiple organ failure. We successfully argued that the failure to order additional diagnostic testing was in fact a deviation from accepted standards of care and the delay in diagnosis resulted in the patient’s cancer spreading, which increased the risk of death. (Attorney Paul O’Connor handled the case.)
$6 Million The case was settled against a rehab facility that allowed our client fall during a transfer from a bed to a chair resulting in a brain stem bleed. (Attorney Scott A. Parsons handled the case)
$6 Million This tragic personal injury case occurred with the failure to warn our client of an oncoming slow moving freight train, which resulted in his being hit by the train and dying several hours later. He left behind a wife and four children. Our client was a trucker helping another trucker with a trailer; he was hand gesturing to assist him, not realizing he had walked onto a train track. Trial attorney Scott Parsons alleged that the conductor supervising the train’s movement from a utility vehicle passed the victim but never warned him of the train’s approach, and that the yellow safety line beside the track wasn’t far enough from the rails to account for the train’s overhang, which struck the victim. The defense attempted to focus on comparative negligence because our client walked onto the railroad track and neither heard nor saw the train. However, we brought in highly qualified biomechanical experts, as well as experts for railroads, pain and suffering, and human factors to substantiate how the human factors issue of benign inattention impacted hearing and seeing the train. The case settled for $6 million on the day of the trial. (Attorney Scott Parsons handled the case.)
$6 Million A drug injection was provided to help a herniated disc respond and become less painful in a procedure called Prolotherapy. The injection went too far, causing a spinal cord lesion resulting in paralysis. (Attorney Scott A. Parsons handled the case.)
$5.15 Million This was a medical malpractice case where a client had a nose bleed that wasn’t properly treated that resulted in the client having a stroke. $5.15 Million Dollar Verdict was awarded to the plaintiff. (Attorney Scott Parsons handled the case).
$5 Million The victim in this case was admitted to a pediatric intensive care unit in New Jersey. While intubated, the child suffered a three hour seizure that went unnoticed by the staff. The victim’s brain was deprived of oxygen, consequently causing cognitive impairment, an inability to speak, and needing a wheelchair or assistance to walk. Our legal representation argued that the seizure should have been detected in the blood pressure and heart rate chart, especially because the patient had a history of seizures. The case settled for $4.8 million for the victim, and $100,000 for each of his parents. (Attorney Paul O’Connor handled the case.)
$4.85 Million The plaintiff, a pregnant mother, suffered a birth trauma when the doctor failed to act on indications of fetal distress. The patient arrived at the hospital with a low grade fever and was making minimal progress in labor. She was diagnosed in the evening with an infection of the placenta and amniotic fluid. It was noticed the monitors were indicating fetal distress. However, the Caesarean Section was ordered the next day, which resulted in her baby being born with cerebral palsy. The child suffers from 20 to 50 seizures daily and has a substantially diminished life expectancy. The verdict can only help recoup in some way what was lost. (Attorney Paul O’Connor handled the case.)
$4.75 Million Surgical error during resection of rectal cancer causing injury to the bowel and bladder.
$4.1 Million In this case, the hospital failed to recognize signs of fetal distress and, as a result, did not deliver the baby in a timely manner. Our attorney did all the discovery; while the child did not meet the ACOG criteria for a birth related injury, due to the other negative effects of the experience, our litigator was able to obtain a significant settlement on behalf of our client. (Attorney Paul O’Connor handled the case.)
$3.9 Million A cardiologist advised a hospital administrative assistant to undergo bypass surgery for a blockage that he found after performing a diagnostic cardiac catheterization procedure. As a result, she suffered scarring and residual pain in her chest and in her leg, where the vein was removed. A catheterization ordered by a different cardiologist after the surgery showed that the bypassed arteries were in fact clear. We sought recovery for damages resulting from medical negligence including pain and suffering, and loss of enjoyment of life. Our strategic approach argued that the victim had a history of catheter-induced spasms that could look like a blockage and an intravascular ultrasound would have determined whether or not the blockage existed. (Attorney Greg Noble handled the case.)
$3.375 Million A 72 year old individual went to a New Jersey medical center feeling disoriented. The patient was sent to the medical/surgical floor and incorrectly given Propyphal, a medication which put him into a coma-like state for several years. (Attorney Scott Parsons handled the case.)
$3.75 Million This was a case of medical negligence against an ob/gyn doctor who failed to recognize the signs of fetal distress. The doctor who was an employee of the hospital failed to deliver the baby in a timely manner, which resulted in extensive complications. (The case was handled by Paul O’Connor.)
$3 Million An expectant mother in her 35th week of pregnancy sought medical treatment for high blood pressure, but was sent home the next day. The medical staff failed to diagnose her preeclampsia, a serious blood flow-reduction condition. After they sent her home, she suffered a placental abruption (separation). The medical staff had ruled out pre-eclampsia and discharged her too early. The mother returned again the next day for delivery and the baby was finally delivered by Caesarean Section. However, the resulting injury to the baby could have been avoided with a timely Caesarean Section. The baby was born with cerebral palsy (hypoxia) that left him with permanent neurological impairment. We sought damages for life care, disability, pain and suffering, and loss of enjoyment of life. The parties agreed to a settlement. (Attorney William Lane handled the case.)
$3 Million A then twenty month old infant ran away from his mother at a schoolyard. When he ran through a complicated “maze-like” fencing system, his mother could not reach him before he was hit by a car in a busy street, sustaining serious injuries. Due to the ill-designed fence, the mother could not navigate the labyrinth to grab her child in time. We brought in human factors experts on the case, who explained that had there been no fence or had it been more open, the child’s mother could have moved quickly to intercept him and prevent the accident. (Attorney Scott Parsons handled the case.)
$2.9 Million It was alleged that the patient-decedent saw a medical care provider with complaints and a presentation that was concerning with an acute cardiac condition that required an emergent cardiac workup. The defendant medical care provider referred the patient for a routine cardiac consult. Patient-decedent subsequently died of a cardiac arrest prior to the cardiac consult.
$2.8 Million It was alleged that the patient-decedent saw his medical care providers with complaints that were consistent with a cardiac condition that required a cardiac workup. The defendant medical care providers believed that the symptoms were non-cardiac and no further evaluation was performed. Patient-decedent subsequently died of a cardiac arrest.
$2.45 Million The estate of the decedent alleged that she was under the care of her OB/GYN who performed cervical cancer screening by way of Pap Smears which was interpreted by the Defendant Laboratory. Plaintiff argued that the Lab’s interpretation of those Pap Smears fell below accepted standards of care and since they under reported the true nature of the abnormalities contained therein. Plaintiff further contended that as a result of the Defendants’ negligence, there was a delay in diagnosing decedent’s then existing cervical cancer and was a substantial factor in causing her death.
$2.2 Million This high profile suit involved the wrongful termination of an employee because he would not participate in an unethical scheme. The doctor was previously employed by the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ). He was a former head of cardiology there, demoted and subsequently let go two years later when his contract expired. Our counsel argued that he was dismissed because he protested an arrangement wherein UMDNJ was making money with area doctors enabling them to teach part-time in exchange for bringing in more surgical business. The case appeared on the front page of the New Jersey Star Ledger and launched a probe by the United States Attorney that resulted in several front page stories surrounding the investigation. The terminated employee was awarded $2.2 million. (Attorney Greg Noble handled the case.)
$2 Million For a former employee of a municipality in NJ who alleged she was sexually harassed by the former mayor. In this case, our client alleged she was the victim of sexual overtures, bodily contact and suggestive text messages from the Mayor and that the Municipal managers knew of the problem but did not do what was required to curb the harassment.
$1.8 Million The case involved a doctor who failed to perform with a close follow up after an internal fixation of a leg fracture. Despite the fact that our client exhibited the signs and symptoms of an infection, the doctor disregarded these indications and did not provide the necessary care. A bone infection or osteomyelitis developed due to the delay in diagnosing the infection. Our client required muscle flap surgeries which resulted in a gait impairment with his walking, caused by repeated surgeries. The case was tried in a conservative county in New Jersey that still found in favor of our plaintiff. (Attorney Scott Parsons handled the case.)
$1.8 Million A woman who went into the hospital for neck surgery was not given the proper informed consent for potential neurogenic bladder. She underwent the neck surgery and ended up with a neurogenic bladder which necessitated self-catheterization. The case was tried on informed consent only, with our legal representation arguing that the defendant, a neurosurgeon, failed to advise the plaintiff of a one percent risk of a neurogenic bladder from the surgery. The case was challenging to win due to other more significant risk factors including death; however, our counsel convinced the jury that the defendant failed to properly advise of the neurogenic bladder risk. The jury awarded $1.4 million to the victim and $400,000 for her husband’s per quod claim. (Attorney Scott Parsons handled the case.)
$1.75 Million The plaintiff in this medical malpractice case was under the care of a pain management physician who provided epidural injections for the treatment of a lumbar herniation. The plaintiff’s spinal cord was injured during one of the injections and, as a result, she sustained paralysis to her lower extremities. (Attorney William Lane handled the case.)
$1.6 Million Patient had a delayed diagnosis of an infection that resulted in a bone infection. (Attorney Scott A. Parsons handled the case.)
$1.6 Million Verdict on case involving a post op infection that required muscle flap procedures. (Attorney Scott A. Parsons handled the case.)
$1.5 Million The plaintiff in this medical malpractice case suffered from an incarceration of the small bowel. Our client, who was 8 1/2 months’ pregnant at the time, had received a gastric bypass surgery five years prior. (Attorney Paul O’Connor handled the case.)
$1.5 Million The plaintiff in this case was admitted for a scheduled thyroidectomy. During the operation, an attempt at intubation failed and the patient began to desaturate. An emergency tracheostomy was performed with the trachea being noted as “markedly narrow” and displaced. After proceeding with the thyroidectomy, the patient then sustained an anoxic encephalopathy as a result. The jury awarded the plaintiff an amount above the policy limits for an additional $300,000 by way of a “high/low” agreement against the defendant. (Attorney William Lane handled the case.)
$1.45 Million This was a medical negligence case against a gastroenterologist and color-rectal surgeon. The defendants failed to perform appropriate randomized biopsies during the plaintiff’s colonoscopies, despite being informed about the patient’s Crohn’s history. They consequently missed the opportunity to diagnose pre-cancerous or early stages of cancer, thus enabling the cancer to grow and spread within the patient’s body. (Attorney Paul O’Connor handled the case.)
$1.3 Million Imagine you are an office manager in a company, working diligently to follow correct accounting procedure. When you learn of improper accounting practices at your firm, you complain and then are retaliated against by your company. The $1,300,000 settlement we secured for this woman was after she alleged that she was terminated in retaliation for reporting her firm’s improper accounting practices. The Cause of Action sought wage loss, emotional distress and other damages under the Conscientious Employee Protection Act. (Attorney Greg Noble handled the case.)
$1.25 Million The case for a misdiagnosis was brought against an otolaryngologist and a pathologist, then settled after discovery and prior to trial. The defendants did a needle aspiration, saying it was non-diagnostic and treated the patient’s cancer for one year as an infectious cyst. Unfortunately, they later realized the patient had cancer. The patient died. (Attorney Paul O’Connor handled the case.)
$1.21 Million The plaintiff in this medical malpractice case was a 16 year old girl who lost her hearing in one ear following a tympanoplasty, a procedure to repair a hole in her eardrum. It was alleged that the hearing loss resulted from the antiseptic preparation used for the procedure. It was argued that the preparation was ototoxic and should not have been used for this particular procedure. (Attorney William Lane handled the case.)
$1.2 Million This involved a rear-end collision to a 40 year old woman’s vehicle as she was making her way driving on the Garden State Parkway. A speeding car hit her vehicle from behind. The accident resulted in a back surgery, a partial discectomy at the lumbar level that failed; the surgery was not effective in eliminating our client’s back pain. In addition, she sustained a closed-head injury that went untreated, resulting in specific cognitive brain defects. (Attorney Scott Parsons handled the case.)
$1.2 Million The plaintiff’s decedent arrived at the emergency room with complaints of low blood sugar and weakness. An EKG revealed a myocardial infarction; however, the EKG was not reviewed by the treating physicians and the patient was discharged. Approximately 1 1/2 hours later, the attending ER doctor reviewed the EKG, noted the acute myocardial infarction, and called the patient to return for immediate catheterization. Although the patient survived another 18 months, the clam was that due to the delay in performing the catheterization, the patient sustained severe cardiac injury resulting in disabilityy and eventual death. The defense argued that the decedent was already in the middle of a myocardial infarction when he arrived at the ER and earlier catheterization would not have changed the result. Nevertheless, our legal representation was able to plead the case successfully. (Attorney William Lane handled the case.)
$1.05 Million Our client was a 41 year old man riding a bicycle in Union County who was hit by an automobile. The accident caused him to suffer from a pelvic fracture. Surgery was performed but the plaintiff struggles with continuing residual pain. (Attorney Scott Parsons handled the case.)
$1.03 Million This is a personal injury automobile case wherein our client was struck in his vehicle by another vehicle at an intersection. The defendant’s vehicle hit our client’s vehicle in a t-bone collision. As fate would have it, our client did not have a memory of the accident, yet we were able to rely upon a trucker who had witnessed the entire accident in his side view mirror. The case was tried for two weeks. The winning verdict was for our client, who suffered a hip fracture as a result of the accident. (Attorney Scott Parsons handled the case.)
$1 Million Our decedent was a 44 year old man who alleged he was negligently maintained on the drug Coumadin, which led to his stroke and death. Our settlement was for his estate: the decedent was survived by his wife and two children. During the discovery phase before the trial, we found information that indicated an error in paperwork in the doctor’s office which led to the deceased being prescribed a quantity of Coumadin that was too large. Sadly, this was with catastrophic results.
$900 Thousand This case was won on behalf of a group of more than ten former warehouse employees who alleged experiencing a hostile work environment. The illegal discrimination was based upon their Hispanic and Dominican background, which is prohibited by law. (Attorney Greg Noble handled the case with co-counsel).
$750 Thousand Lifelong employee of a large company was terminated while on a medical leave for cardiac and mental health problems and had his work duties distributed to younger less qualified employees. OPLN took approximately 10 depositions; survived efforts by the defendant to dismiss the case and obtained a $750,000 settlement for age and disability discrimination at a mediation of the matter.
$690 Thousand This employee was a whistleblower. The individual had alleged that he was terminated for performing x-rays not properly authorized by a physician. This was later reversed on appeal. (Attorney Greg Noble handled the case.)
$605 Thousand Public school teacher alleged that a supervisor made physical sexual advances towards her in a school office and assaulted her. This caused an uncomfortable, hostile work environment and emotional injury. After discovery process, the school district paid a settlement to compensate for the emotional injuries. (Attorney Greg Noble handled the case.)
$500 Thousand Settlement for an employee who alleged she was discriminated against and harassed based upon her race and/or national origin by her supervisor and was thereafter improperly terminated after she made complaints to management about the discrimination and harassment. This case settled during the discovery period. (Attorney Dan Bause handled the case)
$375 Thousand $375,000 Settlement for hostile work environment based upon race/racial discrimination/retaliation: Long time employee of a small business alleged he was called racial and ethnic slurs by a co-worker and that the company failed in its obligation to prevent this type of behavior in the first place and improperly terminated him after he made complaints to ownership about the harassment. This case settled right before trial. (Attorney Greg Noble handled the case).
$362 Thousand In this case, two former African American employees alleged racial discrimination and violation of the Family and Medical Leave Act at their place of employment. Further, our clients alleged they were dismissed from their job for making complaints regarding discriminatory comments made to one of them, which is a retaliation prohibited by law. We settled on their behalf before the lawsuit. (Attorney Greg Noble handled the case.)
$300 Thousand A gay grounds crew member at a golf course alleged he was the victim of gay slurs and name calling by other workers in the presence of management and the company failed to protect the employee and enforce the golf course’s policies. The case was settled, and handled by Attorney Greg Noble.
$300 Thousand Our client alleged she was discharged from her long tenure at an animal shelter, where she had been employed for some time, because of her age. She loved animals, and was distressed to be let go because of her age. The case was brought under the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination. (Attorney Greg Noble handled the case.)
$200 Thousand $200,000 settlement for male employee of a painting company who was called anti-gay slurs because he dated a transgender individual. His coworkers found out he was dating as transgender individual and began ridiculing him because of it. Our client was fired when he resisted this conduct. Attorney Greg Noble handled the case.
$125 Thousand This was a personal injury matter where the client tripped and fell on an improperly placed package delivered to his home. This case settled during the discovery period. (Attorney Dan Bause handled the case).
